Thank FULL

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!  I love that there is a holiday that reminds us to be thankful!  

Personally, I am thankful for:

My Salvation - I am thankful that when I was a young girl that after being brought up in a Christian home that I was moved during a sermon to ask Jesus into my heart.

My Husband - I love Tim more every day.  I love that we know what each other is thinking by just looking at each other.  I love that he is an amazing father to Caden and an amazing husband to me.  I love how rational he is and how he always makes me think of several scenarios rather than the ONE that I might be hung up on during decision making.  I love that he acts silly and I still laugh!

My Son - I love my little Cade Man with all my heart and am so thankful that God gave him to us.  He is a joy to me and I soak up every ounce of time with him and file it into my memory bank because I know how fast time can fly.  I am thankful that for the moment he isn't ashamed to give Mommy lots of kisses!

My Parents - I am thankful that my parents brought my sister and me up in a loving, stable, Christian environment.  One where we saw how much our parents loved each other on a daily basis.

My Dad - I am thankful that one day in May when I was in 3rd grade, that God chose NOT to let my Daddy die after a horrible welding explosion that most certainly could have taken his life.  I'm grateful for a Daddy that was and still is my hero.  I wanted nothing more as a child but to make him proud and as an adult I strive for the same.  He is a man of few words, but the words he chooses to speak are - in my opinion - profound and always keep me thinking.

My Mom - I am thankful for my mother and how much I love her and she loves me.  I am thankful for all the phone conversations we have sometimes more than twice a day.  I love how when we are together we do silly things and continually laugh.  I love that no matter how 'tragic' I think situations are in my life, she has a calming spirit about her and never lets on that by me sharing those situations with her, that she is worried.  She always knows just what to say.  I'm grateful that she helped fix a cast on my foot in junior high because I was made fun of for it looking like a duck bill.  I think she actually cut herself sawing that cast!

My Sister - I love my Kari!  She is my best friend and confidant.  I love that we can laugh and share a look that makes us fall out laughing and only she and I know that it involves Spike, make up and chocolate milk.  I am thankful that when she was 2 years old on a summer day we were swinging in the yard and she reached for me that first time.  I will never forget how excited I was that SHE reached for ME!  I love her grace and her beauty and her unwavering faith in God.  I stand in awe as she honors God after losing Emma when so many people would perhaps turn away from God.  I love her little family.  Lanerbugs is my buddy!  I love that he loves to play with my hair!  I love my Bella Blue Eyes and that she is allllllll GIRL!  I love Scott and what an example he is to his family and how much he loves my sister!

Tim's Mom - I am thankful for a mother in law that loves jewelry as much as I do and loves shopping until she drops!  We love gaudy jewelry and flashy purses!  She is a blast and I love that she is such a good Grammie to our Cade Man!

My Best Friends - I love Stacy Blair!  I have known her since we were born.  She is the funniest gal I know!  We had some of the best times of our life.  We ate enough Little Cesar's pizza for an eternity!  I am thankful that although I don't see her as often as we would both like, that when we talk on the phone or email, or see each other, it is as if we were always together.  My favorite childhood memories and up through high school involve her.  She was my partner in crime and my sister.

Melanie Clevenger - I love Mel!  I am thankful for having her in my life.  Again, like Stacy we may hardly see each other, but we are always there for one another no matter the situation!  We had some great times growing up through junior high and high school.  She is who I modeled my hand writing after!

Jamie Sarratt - I love Jamie!  She and I never have to speak in a crowd to each other, with one look, we have just spoken volumes about some topic!  She makes me laugh and our lunches are always an adventure.  I could call her in the middle of the night and I know she would be at my door as fast as she could be!  We IM all the time and pick right back up when we are together!  She and I share A LOT of information and pretty much nothing is off limits!

New Friend - Erin and I met through Caden's school.  Her son JD, goes to school with Caden.  She is one of the most honest transparent persons I know.  She is so sweet and I love that she is such a great hairdresser!!!

My job - I am thankful that I work for a boss that loves my son as his own and has absolutely no problem with me bringing him to work on days when his school is out.  He is the most generous and kind person you will ever meet.  I work with Laura and she is one of the nicest persons you will every encounter.  She is the most giving person that I know.

Caden's school - I love Canyon Creek Christian Academy!  I am thankful that Caden attends a Christian school where they are not ashamed of God or Jesus and teach our son about them daily.

My Memaw and Papaw - I am thankful that God gave me 25 years with my Papaw. I loved him more than the world!  I am thankful that I got to tell him goodbye in February of 2001 before he went to Heaven.  I am thankful for all the 'Papaw' burgers and long World War II stories he shared with us over the years.  I am thankful that God gave me 28 years with my Memaw.  I miss her terribly every day of my life.  I am thankful that she loved to play with my hair and 'scratch' my back when I would spend the night with her.  I loved her red velvet cakes and Christmases were never the same when she left us.  I am more than thankful that I was able to carry on a conversation with her shortly before she died where I told her that we would miss her but that we would be okay.  Those few moments are seared in my memory forever and I thank God for that tearful goodbye that we shared when her feeble little hand pressed my head onto her chest and her other hand handed me a towel to wipe my tears.

Our Country - I am thankful for a country where we are not killed for worshiping God.  I am thankful for a country in which when I hear the Star Spangled Banner that not a time goes by where I am not covered in chills and reverence thinking of all of the soldiers that died so that we could be free to worship.

I hope it didn't seem as though I was rambling, but I couldn't sleep on this night before Thanksgiving and wanted to share with you all what I'm thankful for.